We install all three, so we don't have a reason to push one. The right floor depends on the room, the subfloor, who's using it, and how long you plan to stay.
Hardwood is the long-term choice for living rooms, dining rooms, bedrooms, and hallways. It can be sanded and refinished again and again, it adds resale value, and it suits the older homes common across San Francisco and the East Bay.
Luxury vinyl plank is the best answer where water is a risk: kitchens, bathrooms, laundry rooms, and basements. It's waterproof, comfortable underfoot, and handles pets and kids well. It's also a smart pick for rental units that need to turn over quickly.
Laminate sits in between. It's harder and more scratch-resistant than vinyl, costs less than hardwood, and works well in bedrooms and upper floors where the subfloor is sound and dry. It can't be refinished, though, so it's a shorter-term floor than hardwood.
Many of our projects mix them: refinished oak in the main rooms, vinyl plank in the kitchen and bath, with clean transitions between. We'll walk through the options room by room during your free estimate.